waiting for rain....need inspiration

 Been having great fun talking to my girlfriend via Viper...finally she has hit the modern world and has a smart phone [don't tell her kids she does not want them to know how savvy she is!] so we have been able to chat [almost continuously husbands might say ] as she gets to work it out and we can catch up on all those little things that amuse us.....the distance from here to there is one thing I have really missed over the years - this is so fun.
so here I am bragging/groaning how busy my desk is....

 my fruit shop

 breakfast with my tortoises

 my camel trying to eat the phone....

 and a new purse I have just stitched- cool hey?

Not everything the last week or so has been this rosy....
Some of it might just be the build up in pressure waiting for the rains, heat and what ever..
Our lovely friend Manju- the young lady on the left finally has a wedding date fixed. This is a happy time, she would like to be married, start a family...also extremely hard.
 Her Papa died many years ago, her brother, an alcoholic did nothing to look after the family and so Ma ran a tea shop to earn maney to feed them...we have know Manju 4 years gradually she has completely taken over that job as Ma has become too frail, she also stitches for us. They have no one to help them and yet she is the cheeriest person you could imagine...in the house was a handbag; we all joked about because that is where all the savings she had went to pay for her marriage.
Well last year the drinker finally had one sip too many and liver disease got him...in the process all her savings were spent on medical care.
She felt it her duty and did it...I was bloody angry - lazy bugger no work, no help to family and then consume their last resources as he dies. Not my place to mention this though, just be a supportive friend.
Now is a time of happiness....hiding a great sadness- Mum will be left alone, Manju has to move to her new family's home, her husband does not want to live in Manju's small home although they now have a separate room from her Mum's,  who will feed Ma... everyone is positive it will work out but I do wonder how? Manju is not certain her new family will allow her to work....
We are hanging around the edges keeping an eye on things... sharing her excitement and will help as needed.
Wandering if we can give her something towards food for the wedding [girls side always provides and the more people you can give a square meal to the better]
Should we pass the hat around? would anyone like to give a few dollars to make it an even more special day? I don't know..

 Our dear friend Nandu does block print work for us.....more hiccups I am afraid.
Quality of work can be variable- if she does it herself with full mind it can be good...if the eldest son does it, it can be rubbish...
When her husband died they had a very good busy- Ragwir was very good at his work...since then Nandi has struggled on almost alone- her baby Radhi was 6 days old when Ragwir died, the eldest boy Vijay nearly 18.
In India the son should step up and look after the family, no help from any other quarter. Hard- he was still a boy at school but reality....well 3 years later he is still doing the surely teenager thing...not helping much at all, wanting money, lost his job due to attitude and when saying he will pick up the printing doing rubbish work.
What to do, we don't have money to pay for rubbish, no client wants rubbish...had a big ...sadness and stress for me really...we need to look after our clients- she is our friend but needs to be responsible for quality.
Many tears at home, we think things have been sorted...I just took Vijay aside and really gave him a piece of my mind- re Mum, re us. Hopefully he will have an attitude adjustment.

 In all of this to protect our work and being able to offer blockprint we have been poking around town and found a new workshop where someone is starting up Block printing.
Salim, is keen and focused...he also does this dye work- procion dyes fixed with waterglass. I used to do this type of batching in Australia....it give a very colour fast result....

 These examples of his work are a bit bold for what we want but the skill is there, he is keen and talking the other day; intelligent and flexible in what he will have a go at...
quite excited by the prospect.

and the stressful stories go on....we saw Soni the other day Karlu's Mum: we have been supporting her and her 3 younger kids with monthly groceries since Karlu [aged 19] died suddenly last year.
We have always been very clear we expect the youngest 2 [ Anil -boy about 8 or 9 years old and Kabita- girl- about 13/14 years] to go to school.
Well Mum was telling us school did not want Kabita to go back...she had been unwell and lost her place....and now Kabita and the older sister Bhiaya would like to come work for us stitching.
I can understand a poor, poor, illiterate village women would be so far removed from what you could do with a bit of education to necessarily see it as important, but we do.
We have always tied it to the groceries...hoped to never be tested on it.
So we sweetly said - important 2 younger ones ARE IN SCHOOL and working at it...any problems with teachers getting her back in and we will go see teacher....
Makes me sad, it really could help her in her life. they don't read so would not see newspapers, too poor for a TV so really there is nowhere Mum would be exposed to modern ideas.
Got to follow this one up.
Then I started thinking of Bhiaya...she was very ill and has missed so much school, no way she will ever go again....she must 16 or 17 now
Some type of training would be good- something she could earn a few rupees from the future- what we pay for stitching work is much more that would ever be earnt at farm work; which is all she could do at the moment.
Actually they are farming cast so even imagining learning stitching is a good thing.....

tooo hot to be worrying over these things.....but we are here and they are presented to us.

ohh well back to sweating and wondering the best way forward....
 

homend still a little blurry....

We are finally home and have internet access again...ohh I do miss some of India's luxuries like cheap and easy internet access anywhere, anytime, someone to help carry the bags and other such treats.

I am in the office...so much to catch up on, lights are on but not much is happening in the mind. Can feel the coffee inside me...but wheels not slotting into gear yet...so sitting here looking busy and hoping this familiar location will result in something constructive starting to happen.

We had a great trip- very busy, as you would expect looking after people and trying to keep everything running as you would like. Think generally we succeeded- yippee!

Then 2 weeks in France as a research trip for a new idea...it was a good idea as we were in the neighbourhood but also ambitious as you are always exhausted after a tour....so first 2 days in Paris we grumbled at each other and then started to get our breath and into the work and fun of exploring our new idea.

Now home, no mind but it will come.... Home looks great, monsoon is early and everything looks so happy and green, there was a huge downpour a few days ago and Praveen's work fixing the house roof and the workshop roof has been successful...rain was only on the outside of the buildings not flooding in through any roofs. What a relief!!! I can't add enough exclamation marks for that comment.

When I arrived at the workshop this morning, gate was newly painted and locked, I had to knock to get in and there were many smiling faces and a shower of rose petals...what great guys we have on our team - BIG SMILES all around.

 

I am staying with our time line...last talked in Marrakesh

 We had dinner one night with another couple from our group...foodies as well and keen to try some of Marrakesh's many great restaurants -this one took Praveen's eye as they has an evening performance scheduled as well. Boy did he get a surprise- he did not realise it would included the dancers coming up and interacting- embarrassed or what!
 I have another picture of the gentleman we were with as one of the other dancers came up and he was tucking money into her skirt waistband- he looked like a guilty schoolboy caught red handed. I sent it along to his wife- good blackmail material. I have a similar one of Praveen and have informed him- if he mucks up I will show it to his Mum!! hahah

 Our riad - cosy

 some of our companions- good for fun

 Rick's Bar in Casablanca may have all been fiction but there is one there now and it is lovely- all the movie would demand and a great place for last nights.

A weary bunch of travellers, we travelled far, across sand dunes, over mighty mountains, through many a crowded bazaar.
I learnt a great lesson through this group...you just have to get on with things...no matter how they might upset you, make you fed up and even sick...life is here to experience and you need to do just that!
One of our people loves travel, has a real bubbly excitement to explore and see everything, also suffers terribly from motion sickness, heights, riding camels, many things ... you would think it difficult to leave home. Yet she just gets on with the experience, works through or around the difficulties and is a fabulous travelling companion. I admire her immensely and really appreciate the chance to learn from her example.

home sweet home...time to get back into gear...I have lots of pictures and stories yet from the last few weeks but need to ration my time for telling stories and savouring the journey with picking up projects, catching up with people and many new samples to make from various new clients- all lots of stimulation...and tours to plan
ohh la, la :) 

last minutes

Well it is a furnace here,

we have air conditioning in our bedroom and running the dial at 18'C and the fan full speed overhead it just about cools the room down enough you can sleep- but it is still to hot to even think of putting a sheet on you.

The electricity goes on and off through the night somewhat like disco lights and as it is not full strength the AC is not working at full strength but it is still much appreciated.

We leave in a few days for Southern Europe where it will be deliciously cooler...think some how that makes it seems hotter here??

If we weren't going anywhere would I be more accepting of the weather rather than dreaming of next week, cool air, new sights, sounds and smells...adventures....

it is important to be where you are now and appreciate it- who really knows what tomorrow will bring?

At my house the little geckos are so happy- this warm weather makes them bounce all over the place...this little guy was really enjoying elephant climbing this morning...I was packing threads for a little stitching along the way on our trip and I found gecko eggs tucked inside the thread cones.

Carefully took out the ones I wanted and rolled the eggs back amongst the others.

Soon baby geckos who jump around even more than Mummy and Daddy.

A million layers of getting ready

• trip booking all in line, contacts all contacted and checked on, workshops organized etc, etc, etc fingers crossed
• booking for our sortie into France later all sorted...and then a last minute change as our nephew is having a party and asked if we can turn up at his place earlier- Yehh but ohh what a lot of re-gigging the schedule. This is a break for us, a delicious dream come true. Paris the city of love with my man- hmmmm :) but also work related - doing what we enjoy researching a Creative Arts Safaris idea...
• we have had orders into the Coats Anchor thread guy for months so we could pack stitching work and leave it here to give out whilst we are away and of course the guy is running slow- out of white thread, number 300 cream and my favourite dark, dark purple 127 teeth gnashing!
• Stitching ladies all seem to have gone to weddings...the stars must be very auspicious this year as there seems a lot of weddings on just at them moment...so hard to touch base with everyone and remind them what is happening. Oh well they can rouse on Praveen when we get back....some days I can talk a bit of Hindi and other days I can't understand a thing- useful that - haha

ohh fun and games.
days in the office and workshop are always fun, sometimes taxing...the ones on the road are even more fun and exhausting but in a very pleasing way...and off we go :)
I have my fancy new laptop, hopefully wifi is easy to find and we can stay in touch
bye

Happy Holi

It was Holi yesterday, well really holi Puja was the night before, but the part everyone looks forward to the Festival of Colours was yesterday.

Everyone runs around like crazy coating coloured powders and waters on just about anyone they can find.

Many brands of those colours stain my skin very vividly for many weeks...Ok if you live in India but it doesn't half look weird if you leave the country.

I once had to do a tour of Vietnam post Holi and was the only cerise person to be seen.

so yesterday I was extra carful and hid at home.

What a piker!! I know but I celebrated in my own way dyeing up a mountain of organza....

and it has the boys in the workshop [Raju and Ranjit] very busy getting it packed for me to take to Australia, tomorrow.

Ahh tomorrow!! the adrenalin of the last minute rush.

Looking forward to seeing my boys, girls belonging to boys and my mates

yippee :)

 



A Baba good morning

 Ok new phone...after one last dash yesterday- again!! we think we have everything sorted and understood about running the new contraption...internet is working correctly at the moment and is FASTTTTTTTTT- oh boy is it fast and perhaps we can settle down and get some work done.

 First things first is early morning snacks for Baba, play with the new phone, pictures pretty good- heh?

 Notice the new hair cut, even a top knot on the top of his hump....Baba does think he is pretty cool

 and being a good Indian boy flowers on the rump is just fine.

 Lovely Puja who looks after the house and flowers from the garden...we are luxuriating in them while we can; the heat is building....dust is starting to fly...sneezing fits all the time the last few days....

Both Harry the goat and Matilda the cow are due to calve or kid in the next few weeks...lots to happen and now time to catch up on all the things that got disconnected over the last 2 weeks whilst trying to get connected...
I don't think it is famous last words this time- perhaps I will have a minte to stitch later today...
hopefully :)
oh and finally made head way sprucing up our website for Creative Arts Safaris- a few more batches of pictures to load and Gloriuos Ghana itinerary to write up....big dreams for France: the Mirabelle Trail to detail and life goes on....

ooohhh India

 We have clouds, it has been a few hours now and I am pining for sun....last night a huge wind came up- my 18inch thick house walls were thinking of swaying- how do my neighbours cope in houses made of sticks? I would be miserable and even though they can teach me a thing or two about looking on the bright side...it must be really hard on cold, dark windy raining night to cope. My heart goes out for those less fortunate.

 My Baba has perfected the sad and sorry camel look, add to that being wet and he really thought he should be indulged with chapatis....

 trying to feed him and take his picture- he thought he might taste the camera- you never know it might be tasty....

 Nahhhh does not smell right- so what is there to eat?  He has become such a sweetie to me- still give Old Budda-ji a bit of a nip now and again, though.

Look quick! my garden is all green and tall and luscious and lovely....if we are luck we will have another month, perhaps 2 and then it will be a dry crisp again...
Things happening.

• Lisa Taylor from the UK has been visiting for a bit of plotting and planning- look at her blog....so interesting to see yourself through someone else's eyes. Love the workshop photo- I need to get a copy- just scan back a bit
• She is off to stay at Arts Reverie in Ahmedabd- this would be a fantastic place for a residency....you arty types should really consider it Ahmedabad has a wonderful arts/ crafts scene- it is where we went to the conference in Novemeber
• My mate Karen has set up a new business- based in Vancouver, Canada she will travel far and wide- she is a consultant for Cross-Dressers. A stylish and arty woman herself who has many friends and much experience helping friends find their true style she is now spreading her stlye, understanding and loving consideration much further afield. Stay tuned as it all comes to fruition. Waiting for more info, website etc. It is all about being who you truely are...if you are true to yourself, life does free up and open up a lot more for you. What you put on the outside does not change the core person but is certainly a reflection of them. I live in the village, respect what the local women like to wear but there is no way I am going to wear a veil. I like to wear trousers, they might think me a bit manly but I do do it modestly...so what the heck. If a bloke wants to embrace the feminine in himself why shouldn't he? Yeh! be yourself :)
• Stitching Ladies here- I had better go to work :) We have a few new tweaks on our work to try out for new samples for possible new clients...so got 2 of my most flexible Ladies Usha and Kashish taking away stuff to give it a whirl...once they make a nice stitch sample we will be able to use it as a stitch guide for new garments....all is step by step here...takes a minute ot 2 to work out the steps sometimes.

a lovely distraction...

All is a little mad here, in a surprisingly organized way, and we had a lovely distraction arrive yesterday....a group of Kiwis and token Ozzie tripping around India.
Keen textile people they had a lovely time ferriting through all our stuff. A few things were off limits because of the Trade Show but for the rest of it I did not need to feel guilty about the mess as it was like Christmas for them wading through and having a look.

Our stitched scarves and jackets are always a winner and fun for dressing up - it was really pleasing to see the big WOW response we receieved for some of our new cushion designs....whew! makes us feel better jumping off the edge and testing to waters at the Trade Show.
There always has to be a first time for everything.


Having people for dinner, of course there is the opportunity ot get gypsy dancers in....fun.
we asked along Nandu as well for a night out for her- she might be a quiet block print lady by day but by night she is an enthusiastic dancer- what a laugh  :)
and our little Radhi is currently a puppy- grogeous boy showing off a new pouffe design.

OK fingers crossed- we leave early tomorrow for Delhi and the trade show- may we be blessed with sales and orders.

the light

The light at this time of the year is beautiful...and the temperature is 1'...which means my house inside is the same temp as a refrigerator!! Not nice. This is from the back step towards the sun...

;

and this is 1 minute later from the side gate away from the sun- we usually walk in the morning as the sun rises and watching the soft lilac shades on those hills in the disatnce move and change is a welcome distraction to the biting cold.
I do not take my camera with me when I walk, nor do I take many snaps in the neighbourhood. In the morning , well I can tell for certain we are the only house near abouts who has inside toilets....everyone but us has to go out and find a likely tree or field...so it would feel rather weird to be out taking pictures....even walking; as I pass houses I am very careful to keep my eyes on the road...rather than looking around too far....you get why?
Later in the day -well locally I am starting not to be particularly noticed...I don't want to be seen as a camera toting tourist....

I got this wonderful email a few days ago...it was a real buzz to recieve....all the things I love about my design seem to be a hit with our client as well....so very satisfying.
 

Hello Fiona,
I was a member of the pary ......... brought to your home for a cooking lesson in January last year.

While I was there I bought a Pukka Desirables bag (see photo attached).  I have used it every day, non stop, since then, and I want to tell you how wonderful it is.

There  is no obvious wear in the fabric, and all the seams are sound.  The carrying handles, remarkably, still do their job with no sign of strain or detachment.

The decorative panel is in as good order as when I bought it, and has been greatly admired.

The two pockets without zips are perfect for keys, glasses, and cell phone - big enough, deep enough that things never fall out, and don't bulge when full of useful things.

The inside zip is  perfect for tucking away a little purse with important cards in it.

The outside zips all work well and provide lots of places to separate things that are needed for a while.

And of course the bag itself is capacious enough for my needs, which can sometimes be quite a load.  It will take a small file of A4 sheets, unfolded.  Fantastic!

ne handle of the bag got tangled up with some spilt 'worm pee' which has a very strong agricultural smell.  After trying to rinse out the smell several times I decided the whole bag must be washed.  I just left it upside down to dry naturally.  It needed no extra attention but was pressed back into service as soon as it was dry.  And perfectly sweet-smellng once again!

Fiona, I never go overboard writing to people about how wonderful their product is.  Never.  But I have got so much pleasure from this elegant and hugely useful bag, and you are so far away from your customers you probably don't get a lot of feedback.  So here is some for you!

...... is bringing a new party through India later this month.  I hope they come to visit you.  I thoroughly enjoyed the purchasing, the cooking, the eating - and of course purchasing my special bag.

Very kind regards to you and your husband, camel, workers, and menagerie,

It was so kind of her to write- I really value the feedback AND I am so pleased she likes all those details...I use the same bag daily and also find it so convenient and useful. Useful is the word I really like to see- life should be easy...useful things help that along.

 

What a buzz this note was for our day- :)

May your be as buzzy.

 

Diwali comes...

The week is blurring past, so much to do is a familiar refrain and now we have only days to go before Diwali [think Indian version of Christmas with a lot more sweets, fireworks and best of all advertising for it ONLY starts a few weeks before not months before!!]

Divali is to do with welcoming prosperity into your life, the whole house and workshop will be lit by small divya [lamps] and all doors left open so she may come through, finishing off all negative things that have accumulated through the last year, and cleaning and painting your house as well if you can manage.

Giving of sweets to all who work for you is vitally important and the quality of the sweets and which shop they came from....quite a mine field to negotiate if you don't know the ins and outs of it all.
This year we have elected to go with Kaju Kutly [cashew sweets] they are the queen of all sweets at this time, the most expensive and NO One will be able to complain, even if it is not their favourite it is too ritzy to whinge about [I say all this because boy did we have whinges from staff last year buying what we thought were very nice mixed sweet boxes].
So we have 40 kg in half kilo packages and have been catching up with all our Stitching Ladies to deliver, the workshop staff and home people will be supplied on Tuesday evening.
A huge undertaking for bosses at Diwali...still we hope a bit of pleasure for those we work with.

I must mention the actual sweet- it is dangerous....it is so nice you can eat far too many and then have a sore tummy. I know because that is just what I did the other day....and yet the one small box we have at home keeps calling to me saying come and have another...if it was a cartoon there would be those waves of addiction reaching out across the house tickling my will power....my tummy is still sore so I have to mantain the rationing!!

 We found an old wall nearby and photgraphed a whole heap of our quilts for our new website...we were both so thrilled to see what they look like...

 Nandu has printed up some lovely handloom for us and we have a new bag design or 2 to try out...Baba was so funny thinking they were food. Notice the camel cart underneath- it has been attacked with paint for Diwali. No way I could explain I actually prefer the old rustic look it had pre- bright blue paint...now it even has red additions [yuk!] but everyone else is well impressed and with a chaptit so is the camel.

 My office had everything turfed outside....so much stuff and cleaned and sorted...this is the last spot in the workshop to get the treatment and I think I had twice as much as everyone else....still we are all sorted for the new year to come....let the Goddess of Prosperity grace our home and workshop :)

New website is progressing only slightly faster than the Passenger Pigeon...internet speed is so slow at the moment....still it is up, many things are listed and the doors are open for selling. I wonder how we light lamps in the website as well? It is after all our new retail premises?

Happy Diwali to you, clean away all that is unfinished and negative from the last year, let it go and light up for a new and prosperous year to come :)
all the very best wishes fro Fiona and Praveen

 

Midas touch

I feel like Midas with a mountain of treasure- but instead of everything being gold and cold mine treasure is silk and lovely to touch.....new quilts coming together.

 The silk side looks good and feels great but I think I am more inlove with the reverse side and how graphic it is...this one I wanted the ladies to change the order of thecolours so their would be variation in the circles- only one was comfortable to do this...but next time I think we will get there. Then the design will have more movement in it....

 The pink silk in this is sooo luxurious looking- so warm and inviting....

It is now Autumn here- such a relief after the build up of heat in summer and then the humidity of monsoon. Mornings are crisp [ I can wear my silk kimono we stitched in the workshop] and the days are full warm. I say full warm becuase that is how you feel- completely warm up to the point of just about sweating but not going over the top and dissolving into pools of sweat, which has been the experience for the last 6 months.

Off to Delhi for the weekend...things to check out, markets to visit....taking camera to the camera doctor- seeems dust or mould is in the inside and does not focus as crisply as it should - we have new websites to build so that needs to improve....
Have a good weekend :)
 

a funny place

I love my home and the place it is located but I have to admit there are days when I am completely befuddled by the place.

Just recently Karlu the young man who worked for us died; quickly and rather mysteriously. He was fine the night before out with the village singing Bhajans [Holy songs ] until the early hours of the early hours of the morning- nothing naughty involved.

Did not wake up in the morning so when his Mum went to rouse himhe was dopey and partly paralysed, could not stand up or speak properly...they tried to get transport [for some reason did not ask us] and tried to rush him off to...wait for it...the temple 2 hours away.

He died on the way- everyone locally is of the opinion if he had got there faster he would have been fine.

He had had a toothche a few weeks prviously and we had sent him to the dentist, who had administered antibiotics and removed the tooth- he was happy with that.

 

Our cow when she calved, enede up with mastitis- not unusual for first calf but important to treat immediatly or she could have scarring and never be able to be milked. I was told about it and asked is she being treated? Yes I was told...then I saw her milk a few days later still looked red. I asked to see the bottle of medicine and was told OHH no we got someone to pray over her and ward off the evil eye. I was livid, what No medical treatment!!!

I don't like to tread on local customs and I don't think everything I think is right BUT really!!!

So keeping myself on a tight leash I said great if this happens again get the cow blessed and AT THE SAME TIME get the vet.

Well the other night about midnight my phone was ringing as I staggered up to see who it was I realised Sohan [he looks after our animals] was at the gate trying to get our attention. His sister-in-law Sadha ahd woken up laughing like crazy and speaking in a mumbled way [sounded like sleepwalking to me] but it had scared teh living daylights out of the family and after waht had happened to Karlu they wanted to have her looked at immediately. Fair enough, they had not been able to hire a car at that time so had come to us for our car [a cousin is a driver so we knew they could drive properly] and they were going for treatment.

Come morning we had not heard from them and the hospital is rather close so we were concerned so Praveen rang- what had the doctor said??

Oh no they had gone to the temple 2 hours away and now she was fine.

She was to spend a week at the temple praying and all would be well.

She is back home now , fine, I am still scatching my head- after what happened to Karlu would you not consider a doctor as well?

I really am scratching my head....what to do? It is not up to be to tell someone else how to live there life but if I had realsied it was temple and not doctor I would have been in anguish over whether to say something or not????

The world is a mysterious place sometimes.

 

 New ideas coming to fruition for Pukka Desirables....really like homewares, I can use the things I hold dear in them [handloom, hand stitch, recycled silk saris] This needs stuffing and will be one big floor cusions in the UFO shape I made pincushions in....just working out how to tweak the basic stitching

 I have 250 sari waiting to be washed before we get into cutting and using them....and rain and mould from damp so hard to getinto it all.....just looking at this lusciuos border- what to do with it?? If we start using the borders it is hard work because they come in so many different shapes, sizes and materials, they are too good to just send the the textile recycler here....a bit of agony for me- what to do?

Another one of our lovely silk/handloom quilts.
We are discovering who can sticth various designs and so able to funnel work to those best suited to it....I am in love with these- all that lovely stitch- yeh!!
Visually satisfying and heart felt satisfying becuase it embodies a lot of good handwork and income for women...I think they will have a ready market once stockists see them [I hope and pray as well]
Mould report [due to rain and humidity]
 cloth under the fan is still wet after 5 days....
I found mould developing on the notes in my wallet,
and my camera has a little coat on the outside even sealed up in its camera case- hate to think what is happening inside camera or computer
 my bone handled knives have developed a bloom, it is all truely yuk!! and I am running around like crazy checking and airing things.

life in a damp and confusing world :)